Here are 30 free virtual assistant prompts you can paste into ChatGPT or Claude today, sorted by the task in front of you. Every one of them tells the AI to ask before it guesses.
I use prompts like these every day in my own VA work. Search for a list like this and almost everything that comes up is a paid prompt pack. So here's mine, free, and you can copy any of them straight off the page.
How to Use These Virtual Assistant Prompts
Anything in [square brackets] is yours to fill in: the client's name, their tone, the email you're working on. The more real detail you give, the better the answer.
You'll also see the same three habits in almost every prompt: ask me questions, flag what you're unsure about, and don't make things up. AI tools sometimes fill gaps with confident guesses. Those lines make it show you the gap instead, so you can check it before your client ever sees it.
One privacy rule before you paste anything. Leave out passwords, bank details and anything your client hasn't agreed to share with an AI tool. If you use Claude, its privacy settings have a toggle for whether your chats help train future models, and you can switch it off.
Inbox and Email
Email is where most of us start, so these come first. They sort, draft and nudge, and none of them send anything. You stay the one who hits send.
1. Sort this inbox
You're helping me manage [client name]'s inbox. Below are [number] emails. Sort them into: Reply today, Reply this week, FYI only, Can archive. Give one line on why for each. If you can't tell how urgent something is, put it under "Not sure" and tell me what you'd need to know. Don't guess at deadlines that aren't written in the email.
[paste emails]
2. Reply in my client's voice
Draft a reply to the email below for [client name], who is [role] at [company]. Their tone is [warm and brief / formal / casual]. The reply needs to [goal]. Keep it under [100] words. Don't promise dates, prices or anything that isn't in the email or my notes. If something is missing, write [CHECK: what's missing] in the draft instead of filling it in.
Email: [paste]
My notes: [paste]
3. Polite follow-up
Write a follow-up email to [recipient] about [topic]. We first wrote on [date] and haven't heard back. Give me two versions, one friendly and one firmer, both under 80 words. If you need the original email to get the details right, ask me for it first.
Calendar and Scheduling
Time zones are where small mistakes get expensive. These prompts make the AI show its working, so you can spot a wrong offset before a client misses a call.
4. Find a time across time zones
[Client name] is in [time zone] and works [hours]. The other person is in [time zone] and works [hours]. Suggest 3 meeting slots in the next [5 working days] that fit both working days. Show each slot in both time zones. If daylight saving time could change the offset on any of those dates, say so and tell me to double-check. Don't assume.
5. Review next week's calendar
Here is [client name]'s calendar for next week: [paste]. Point out double bookings, back-to-back meetings with no break, days with no time for focused work, and events missing a location or video link. Don't move anything. Just list what you'd flag and a suggested fix for each.
6. Offer meeting times by email
Write a short email to [person] offering these times for a [30-minute] call with [client name]: [times, with time zone]. Ask them to pick one or suggest another. Their time zone is [time zone]. If any slot falls on a weekend or very early or late for them, point it out to me before you write the email.
Meeting Notes
A transcript is only useful once someone pulls the decisions out of it. These three get you from messy notes to something your client will actually read.
7. Transcript to action items
Below is the transcript of [meeting name] on [date]. Pull out: decisions made, action items (with owner and due date) and open questions. Use only what's in the transcript. If an action item has no clear owner or date, write "owner unclear" or "no date given" instead of guessing.
[paste transcript]
8. Recap email
Turn these meeting notes into a recap email from [client name] to [attendees]. Start with the 3 most important decisions, then the action items with owners. Keep it under [200] words and easy to skim. Copy numbers and dates exactly as they appear, and mark anything that looks contradictory with [CHECK].
Notes: [paste]
9. Brief before a meeting
[Client name] is meeting [person or company] on [date] about [topic]. Using only what I paste below (past emails, their bio, old notes), write a one-page brief: who they are, what we've discussed before, open items, and 3 questions [client name] could ask. List anything important that's missing under "Gaps" at the end.
[paste]
Research
Research is where an AI is most tempted to sound sure when it isn't. Each of these asks it to separate what it knows from what you should check.
10. Compare options for a client
I'm researching [type of tool or service] for [client name], a [type of business] with a budget of [budget]. Compare [option A], [option B] and [option C] on price, main features and [what matters most to the client]. For every price or feature, tell me how sure you are. If you can't confirm current pricing, say so plainly so I can check the official site.
11. Quick research brief
Write a short research brief on [topic] for [client name], who needs it to [purpose]. Start with a 3-sentence summary, then the key points, then what's still uncertain or disputed. Keep facts you're confident about separate from things I should verify. Don't make up statistics or sources. If my request is unclear, ask me up to 3 questions before you start.
12. Find the claims I need to check
Here's a draft [post / email / report] for [client name]: [paste]. List every factual claim in it: numbers, dates, names and quotes. For each one, tell me whether it needs a source and what kind of source would confirm it. Don't mark anything as true unless it's common knowledge.
Client Communication
These are for the messages that need a bit of care: a tone fix, an awkward conversation, or the weekly update your client skims on their phone.
13. Fix the tone, keep the facts
Rewrite this message to [name] so it sounds [calmer / warmer / more professional]. Don't change any facts, dates or amounts. Under the rewrite, list what you changed and why in a few short lines.
[paste message]
14. A tricky message
Help me write a message to [client name] about [situation, e.g. a delay or a request outside our agreement]. What I want: [outcome]. What I can offer: [options]. Keep it honest and short, with no over-apologising. Ask me questions first if you need more context about our agreement.
15. Weekly update
Write a weekly update for [client name] from me, their VA. Done this week: [list]. In progress: [list]. What I need from them: [list]. Put the "need from you" part first and keep it under [150] words. Don't add tasks I didn't list.
Social Media
Good for first drafts of client posts. The rule in all three: no claims, prices or stats the client didn't give you.
16. Caption options
Write 3 caption options for [platform] for [client or brand]. Their audience is [audience] and their tone is [tone]. The post is about [topic or photo description]. End with this call to action: [CTA]. Keep each under [number] characters. Don't add claims, prices or stats I didn't give you.
17. Two-week content plan
Plan [2 weeks] of [platform] posts for [client name] using these themes: [themes] and these key dates: [launches, holidays]. Give me a table with date, post idea, format and an opening line. If a date might clash with something, like a public holiday in [country], flag it for me to check.
18. Repurpose one piece of content
Turn this [blog post / video transcript] from [client name] into [3] short [platform] posts. Use only points from the original and keep the client's own wording where you can. Flag any line you shortened in a way that might change the meaning.
[paste]
Documents and SOPs
An SOP is a standard operating procedure: written steps anyone could follow to do a task the same way. These turn your notes into documents without inventing missing steps.
19. Rough notes to SOP
Turn my rough notes below into a step-by-step SOP for [task] at [client's business]. Number the steps and add who does each one and which tool they use. Where my notes skip a step or aren't clear, add a [QUESTION: ...] line instead of filling the gap.
[paste notes]
20. Reusable template
Create a reusable template for [document type, e.g. onboarding checklist / meeting agenda / invoice reminder] for [client name]. Use [square brackets] for every detail that changes each time. Before you start, ask me which sections they usually include.
21. Proofread without rewriting
Proofread this [document] for spelling, grammar and consistency (names, dates, formatting). Don't change the style. Give me a list of each change with the original and the fix. If something looks factually wrong, flag it instead of changing it.
[paste]
Data Cleanup
Spreadsheet work is where a quiet AI guess can do the most damage. These keep blanks blank and leave the numbers alone.
22. Clean up a list
Below is a list of [contacts / products] from a spreadsheet. Fix capitalisation, split full names into first and last name, format phone numbers as [format] and remove exact duplicates. Don't invent missing data: leave blanks blank. At the end, list any rows you weren't sure about.
[paste]
23. Explain a formula
I'm working in [Google Sheets / Excel]. Column [A] has [what], column [B] has [what]. I want to [goal]. Give me the formula, explain in plain words what it does, and tell me what could break it, like empty cells or mixed date formats. Ask me for a sample row if you need one.
24. Spot problems, change nothing
Here is [client name]'s [expense list / invoice tracker]: [paste]. Point out possible problems: duplicates, missing dates, amounts that look unusual next to the rest, and totals that don't add up. Give the row for each one. Don't change any numbers.
Travel
Prices, visas and entry rules change, so these prompts make the AI organise and point you to official sources instead of quoting rules from memory.
25. Build the itinerary
[Client name] is travelling to [city] from [date] to [date] for [purpose]. Using the bookings I paste below, build a day-by-day itinerary with local times, confirmation numbers, addresses and travel time between stops. Flag any tight connection or anything missing, like a night with no hotel.
[paste bookings]
26. Shortlist options
Suggest [3] [hotels / areas to stay / flight routes] in [city] for [client name], who prefers [preferences] and has a budget of about [budget] per [night / trip]. Tell me what to search for and what to check. Don't state prices or availability as fact, because those change. I'll confirm on the booking site.
27. Pre-trip checklist
Make a pre-trip checklist for [client name]'s trip to [country] on [dates]: documents, apps, chargers, business etiquette and things to confirm 48 hours before. For anything about visas or entry rules, write "check the official government site" instead of giving rules from memory.
Managing Yourself
The last three are for you. Juggling several clients is a job in itself, and these help with the planning around the work.
28. Plan my day
Here is my task list for today across [number] clients: [paste]. I have [hours] hours and these fixed calls: [times]. Put the tasks in order with time blocks, deadlines first. If something won't fit, tell me what you'd move and ask me which client is safest to push.
29. End-of-day log
Turn these quick notes into a tidy end-of-day log for [client name]: what I finished, what's in progress, what's blocking me, and what's first tomorrow. Use only what I wrote.
[paste notes]
30. A personal assistant prompt for Claude
You're my assistant for [client name], a [role] at [company]. They prefer [tone] and [preferences, e.g. short emails, no meetings before 10 am, time zone]. When I give you a task: ask up to 3 questions if anything is unclear, never invent facts, dates, prices or names, mark anything you're unsure about with [CHECK], and never say something has been sent or booked. I do that part.
That last one works best as standing instructions. In Claude, you can save it as the instructions for a Project, which is a separate workspace with its own chats and files, so every chat inside it starts with your client's details already loaded. Free accounts can create up to five Projects.
What This Means for VAs
Prompts don't replace your judgment. They give it a head start. A good prompt gets you a draft in under a minute, and the [CHECK] marks show you exactly where your own knowledge of the client has to come in.
If you have a client who sends you a pile of meeting transcripts every week, start with prompt 7 and prompt 8 together. If inbox work eats your mornings, start with 1 and 2.
Then change the wording until it sounds like you and your client. The ones you end up using daily won't look exactly like mine, and that's how it should be.
Try one today, then tell me which prompt you started with.
